Salesforce came to lifestyle 23 a long time in the past in a San Francisco apartment by Founder and latest Co-CEO Marc Benioff. Dreamforce, its annual party created to deliver together the international Salesforce neighborhood for learning, community making, fun, and philanthropy, found its conception 20 several years back. And this 12 months, I was equipped to practical experience Dreamforce for my pretty very first time – finally finding just how impactful the two Salesforce and Dreamforce are to their partners and brand names alike.
With so a lot to absorb all through these speedy-paced, info-wealthy three times, below are 10 of my favored times.
1. The Opening Keynote Presented by Co-CEOs Marc Benioff and Bret Taylor
Walking into Dreamforce was contrary to any other event I have at any time attended, with the power of Dreamforce encompassing just about every phase I took. Seats filled fast and hrs early for the opening keynote session of Co-CEOs Marc Benioff and Bret Taylor. Enthusiasm of information to be uncovered about Salesforce improved characteristics stuffed the space and – very actually – the city times before this precise session. I was psyched to hear firsthand what all the chit chat was about, and I was not upset. As an avid believer that integrated, clever technologies is crucial in supporting enterprise operations, Benioff and Taylor eventually let us in on a single of their greatest saved insider secrets still. And that was that true-time information system, recognized as Genie, has been launched to the by now strong and sophisticated Salesforce system. For merchants in unique, this sparked my exhilaration being aware of that getting clarity from a 360-degree angle in genuine-time on all touchpoints of their company is crucial for optimized retail achievement. In the days that followed, I was thrilled to master even extra about Genie and the gains it offers stores, which you can also take a look at here.
2. Knowledge-Driven Decisions are Necessary for Company Growth
As a single of more than 1,000 classes at Dreamforce, I was grateful to listen to Salesforce consulting spouse, Slalom’s, Managing Director Jim Clarke and DECIEM’s Senior E-Commerce Director Heather Stables focus on the worth of data for enterprise development. Stables discovered that although their team doesn’t have an official marketing and advertising department, they lean on knowledge retrieved from their quite a few technology-based mostly sources to make strategic and revenue-oriented selections that help standardize and streamline their operational initiatives. Speaking specially about their skincare organization, The Everyday, Stables shared that acquiring transparency was the most significant component of their business advancement. Leveraging Slalom, this transparency turned a actuality for The Ordinary when also supplying them data they could proactively react to for more lucrative company expansion. For all stores, this can be mimicked if applying the proper engineering. Fortunately, with tailored engineering these types of as Slalom and Salesforce, this can be accomplished.
3. The Shop of Tomorrow May Not Be What You Hope It To Be
Collectively with Robin Smith and Irina Yurevich of EPAM Devices, a Salesforce consulting associate, and Michelle Grant of Salesforce, I was thrilled to share in a dynamic panel discussion about the “Store of Tomorrow: The Following Era of Technology, Inclusion, and Responsibility in a Retail Ecosystem.” We talked over how technologies and trends alike are impacting physical and digital retail as properly as what customers expect from paying for encounters. Metaverse was a aspect of our dialogue, however it isn’t anticipated to be a homerun retail practical experience by all panelists in attendance. It is, nevertheless, anticipated to be an vital section of the path to obtain for quite a few consumers. Also, building positive you keep visibility and connectivity involving the several places a shopper could have interaction on their special route to purchase was an significant highlight of this conversation.

Jointly with Michelle Grant of Salesforce, Nicole Leinbach of Retail Minded joined EPAM leaders in a panel dialogue about the “Keep of Tomorrow”.
4. Influencers and Person Produced Information Continues to Sway Purchaser Decisions
Buyers like being aware of what other customers think and in our modern day world of commerce, this proceeds to be amongst the main influencers in customer decisions. Retaining this in head, retailer Ashley Stewart had a Q&A with Slalom and shared that the the greater part of their marketing and advertising is generally targeted on influencer and user created information. They also lean closely on buy now, pay later on messaging that is produced probable by corporations these as Klarna, Afterpay and other quad installment payment providers. And thanks to Salesforce associate Slalom, they are also equipped to deliver a more robust human ingredient to their messaging, aligning with their drive to personalize messaging and promoting to their clients.
5. The Stop of a Client Journey is as Crucial as The Beginning of the Journey
I’ve been a extensive-time lover of the buyer journey currently being a top priority for vendors, and listening to from Shoprunner, a FedEx subsidiary – and Salesforce associate – at Dreamforce bolstered just how critical it is to hear to what buyers want. Stressing that their intention is to “simplify the e-commerce experience,” Shoprunner aims to give a holistic and sincere look at to their prospects many thanks to a solution that stems from shopper loyalty and integrates with Salesforce Commerce Cloud Get Management Procedure. With these easy yet important core values, Shoprunner is serving to to redefine what customer delivery looks like in a globe that generally thinks speedy is finest. But what about quick with transparency, easy returns, and clients in command? The conclusion of the journey is as vital as the commencing of the journey, and this reminder is a very good one to apply to your own one of a kind business enterprise.
6. The Evolution of Loyalty in Retail Leans Intensely on Customer Experience
On Day 2 of Dreamforce, I was fortunate to sign up for a panel dialogue that involved Salesforce’s Michelle Grant and Slalom’s Shivanni Majewski and Bethany Platter. As people ourselves, we all agreed that the encounter of buying – the two the optimistic and the negative – influences our foreseeable future acquire conclusions. As retail specialists, we also agreed that the aspects primary to a transaction make any difference. This dynamic dialogue is 1 not to be disregarded no matter whether you are a tiny, mid-measurement or big business enterprise, as customer loyalty doesn’t play favorites to sizing but somewhat to experience. How brands and retailers keep in touch with their prospects is a major factor in loyalty, as effectively. Applying intelligence created from past purchases, shops can be far more strategic with when and why they get in contact with clients for upcoming procuring opportunities. But it need to not be overlooked with how this happens possibly. Email marketing and advertising continues to be a strong communication avenue, but SMS alerts and even social media affect a faithful customer’s route to invest in. I problem you to believe about why you are faithful to the places you are as a consumer on your own, and then feel about if your business mimics some of your preferred consumer loyalty activities. The aspects certainly do subject in this article, as we each and every discussed in this panel at Dreamforce.

Retail Minded’s Nicole Leinbach joined Slalom at Dreamforce to focus on shopper loyalty alongside with Salesforce’s Michelle Grant.
7. Keep Optimization Really should Consist of Worker Optimization
Though it’s difficult to choose a preferred second of my week at Dreamforce, I’d be lying if I did not say the retail keynote was just one of my top a few. As a self-explained retail geek, I was giddy with enjoyment to hear from Salesforce’s Rob Garf and Michelle Grant with special friends from Gucci and Casey’s. As Garf shared in this engaging keynote, “more and much more vendors are turning to automation and AI” to assist with shop and employee optimization. The genuine takeaway for me, having said that, was simply that just one just cannot be thriving with no the other. Retail store leaders need to have to empower their personnel to genuinely enhance their retailer. Assistance, in specific, is elevated when staff are presented the chance to be elevated themselves. With greater accountability and possibility, they can actually comprehend their stock and prospects on a further level. Genie built an look listed here, as properly, reinforcing that customer magic can be shipped with joyful shopping activities when equally the store and their personnel are positioned to supply the ideal customer treatment.
8. The Spouse Ecosystem at Salesforce Felt Like Family
A person of the lots of fascinating discoveries I experienced whilst at Dreamforce was the initially-hand encounter of viewing just how beneficial Salesforce sights their partners. From my eyes, they felt more like family members than just partners with enthusiastic colleagues satisfied to see just about every other, do the job jointly and collaborate to make vendors more accomplished. It was an spectacular practical experience to view so numerous companies doing work jointly, ultimately wanting to deliver heightened activities for retailers with as a lot simplicity, agility and transparency as feasible. It didn’t harm that these same companions liked some laughs and genuine entertaining along the way. Seeking back, I in particular savored my time at the “Women in Retail, Buyer Items & Commerce Networking Event” from Dentsu the place I achieved so numerous amazing ladies leaders. By the end of the function, I realized I experienced met girls I would be remaining in touch with in the a long time to adhere to.
9. Belief and Transparency is the Legitimate Evaluate of Success
On Working day 3 of Dreamforce, I commenced to assume about what have confidence in intended in a company partnership. Without having hesitation, I right away considered of transparency. Following all, how can you have trust if you can’t comprehend all the details of anything? When we appear at retail in certain, there are so several relocating pieces at any one time that rely on is necessary in building guaranteed matters will perform out correctly. This was strengthened when I heard from Salesforce husband or wife OSF Electronic in a session at Dreamforce where by they mentioned related customer encounters crafted around united associates functioning together. By means of a numerous ecosystem of partners, OSF Electronic is in a position to enable retailers deliver individualized client encounters that nurture shopper loyalty and bolster profits, as very well. But let’s experience it. This are unable to transpire with no a very clear understanding of what is getting place. Transparency offers shops the ability to have this comprehending, still suppliers can not achieve this without having the ideal know-how. Realizing there is technological innovation like Genie that integrates with other technologies from the several Salesforce partners I got to know although at Dreamforce proves believe in and transparency go hand-in-hand. With each other, they direct to productive activities irrespective of whether it comes to consumers, inventory, transactions or more.

Retail Minded’s Nicole Leinbach chats with the OSF Electronic staff even though at Dreamforce 2022.
10. Retail is Not Retail Without Dreamforce
As Bret Taylor mentioned on Day A person of Dreamforce, “San Francisco is not San Francisco without having Dreamforce.” And I concur. But I also think retail isn’t retail without Dreamforce.
Enduring Dreamforce as a initially-time attendee and self-explained retail geek was – no pun meant – a dream appear correct. I remaining there motivated, enthusiastic and admittedly, a little bit exhausted. It was a non-stop, training-abundant encounter that also provided leisure and networking that I value from both of those a own and specialist perspective. I’m grateful for the working experience, but I am far more grateful for the merchants that get to benefit from the Salesforce associate ecosystem that is generating vendors a lot more profitable and extra fulfilling a person Dreamforce at a time.
For each “wow” there is a spouse application + expert to electric power the “how.”
Find out what’s correct for you on salesforce.com/associates.
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